Two big questions loom over Arsenal’s visit to Old Trafford this early March Sunday: 1) “How high can we fly?”; and 2) “How low can they go?” although the “they” in that second question could pertain equally well to bottom half side Manchester United or to bottom feeder refereeing cabal PGMOL, as we have learned so many times already this season. Anthony Taylor (not again??) stands ready to represent the cabal at OT this time. But, the possible untimely intervention of PGMOL notwithstanding, there is also a third question to ponder, namely, “What happens when you spank the Red Mancs?” Presumably, they would get even redder than they will be at kickoff, but we won’t really know until we have administered the spanking, will we?
Arsenal travel to the red half of Manchester to face Ruben Amorim’s juggernaut 14-placed side, having won 7-1 away at PSV in the Champions League in midweek, drawn 0-0 at Nottingham Forest in their last league game, and not having scored a solitary goal in either of their last two league games. With such different scores in our recent past, who knows what kind of game we are likely to see this time, although a repeat of the Eindhoven goal fest seems distinctly unlikely.
The most recent match between these clubs was January 12th in North London when the 10-man Red Mancs knocked Arsenal out of the FA Cup on penalties after the match ended 1-1 after 120 minutes of play. In this season’s reverse league fixture at The Emirates on December 4th, the Arsenal defence kept a clean sheet and the Arsenal defenders did all the scoring as Timber and Saliba goals highlighted a 2-0 home win. The Gunners have beaten United the last four times they faced them in the league, including their most recent Old Toilet trip in May 2024 when they won 0-1.
Looking forward to Sunday’s game, Mikel Arteta prescribed a sage dose of caution, saying in his Eindhoven post-match presser “it gives us a lot of joy, confidence and belief (but) it’s not what we did three days ago, or today, it’s about what we’re going to do tomorrow, or at Old Trafford.” Looking back at the ancient history of this fixture though, as in three years ago or longer, Arsenal have no reason to take anything for granted on this ground no matter their opponent’s current form, and they easily could end up wishing they had saved one or two of the seven goals they scored in midweek for this occasion.
The opposition
The Red Mancs find themselves with the same number of points in the Premier League table as Tottenham who are in 13th on goal difference, and West Ham who are in 15th. United have changed managers this season (Amorim replaced ten Hag in November) but keep on getting mediocre results. Overall, their league results include 9 wins and 12 losses, but their form has stayed uniformly poor throughout. Under ten Hag they won 4 of 12 league games, and under Amorim they have won 5 of 15 leaving both managers with an identical 33% winning percentage, which doesn’t show much improvement or meet their lofty expectations.
United hosted Fulham last weekend in the FA Cup while Arsenal took a weekend break having been eliminated from the competition by these self-same Red Mancs in January. United, the 2024 FA Cup holders, fielded a starting XI last week of Onana, Maguire, de Ligt, Yoro, Eriksen, Ugarte, Dalot, Mazraoui, Hojland, Fernandes and Zirkzee, but were knocked out on penalties. On Thursday in the Europa League, United drew 1-1 with Real Sociedad in San Sebastian, leaving them with work to do in the second leg and relatively short prep time to get ready for the Gunners. United’s first choice central defender Lisandro Martinez is likely to miss the rest of their season with a cruciate ligament injury suffered in February’s 2-0 defeat to Crystal Palace. Maguire missed United’s Thursday Europa League match after injuring himself a few days prior against Fulham, so United’s central defence may require another layer of reinforcement.
It seems that stories of discord surround the Red Mancs, pretty much wherever you look. Owner Jim Ratcliffe has made a series of unpopular decisions including sacking some 250 employees with plans to reduce staffing by another 100-200 souls. He controversially ended Alex Ferguson’s ambassador role despite the Scot being the club’s most successful manager. His no longer shiny new manager Amorim disciplined winger Garnacho last week by making him pay for a team meal as punishment for petulantly walking straight off down the tunnel when he was substituted against Ipswich in United’s last league game. Amorim also seems to like telling his players through the media that they are collectively hopeless. Not that I would argue the point with him, of course, and let’s all hope and pray that their discord has not run out this week.
Arsenal XI
Arsenal’s injury situation remains the same as recent weeks, so we should continue with the same makeshift group of attackers, but our defence and midfield, with the addition of MLS at left back, includes a more established group of names. Ben White has made a couple of cameo appearances at right back recently, and may be on the verge of a return to the first team, but for now Timber should continue in that position, and the overall team should look something like this:
Raya
Timber Saliba Gabriel Lewis-Skelly
Partey
Ødegaard Rice
Nwaneri Merino Trossard
Knowing that we have had trouble scoring in the league recently, and that games like the one in Eindhoven tend not to happen twice in succession, I am predicting that Arsenal will emerge victorious and the traveling Gooners will be singing “1-Nil to the Arsenal” at the final whistle. Please Dennis let it be so.
Wherever you may watch the game, do your utmost to cheer us on to a big win and (most of all) enjoy it! Cheers, all.
Thanks bt8
I reckon we should win this one quite comfortably and regain some sense of superiority after the FA Cup defeat.
2-0 for me.
UTA.
Thanks Bt8
A very extensive preview and it’s hard to argue with your logic . We have a very unusual situation in midweek where we can experiment a bit so we can play a very strong team tomorrow
I think 1-0 to the Arsenal is a very decent shout . Fingers crossed 🤞
MLS is still suspended so Calafiori is likely to be left back
Good stuff, bt8. For all your optimism and our fine recent record I still find the Old Toilet an intimidating destination. Too often we have failed to impose our quality on dire Manure outfits. Those scars have not yet healed. Hopefully the team clicks as it did in Eindhoven, rather than labours unproductively only to be suckered as we were against the Spammers. I live in hope of a decisive huge victory against this shower to lay those old ghosts for all time.
TTG@3: Surely, MLS is available? Wasn’t his one-match ban for his red against West Ham served by missing the Forest game? Whether Arteta sits him out in an educational way is another matter.
bt8: A characteristically rumbunctious preview. I share Bath’s sense of foreboding: too many games at the OT over the years have been lost that should have been won. I will take your 1-0 but be a lot happier with Noosa’s 2-0.
Four minutes before the chevrons descended in the previous drinks, I posted another data point for the season ticket discussion and some info on FC Copenhagen’s innovative season ticket subscriptions. I will take the liberty of reposting it:
Another data point on season tickets, from a report which looked at Valencia’s adoption of dynamic pricing for tickets:
In contrast, the Premier League, with its structured approach and strong fan engagement requirements, has largely avoided dynamic pricing. Clubs are required to publish ticket prices before the season, and around 70% of tickets are sold as season tickets that are exempt from price fluctuations (during the season). However, 2024/25 saw 19 of 20 Premier League clubs raise ticket prices, sparking protests from fan groups.
FC Copenhagen has introduced a subscription option that lets season ticket holders pay over three, six or ten months to spread the cost. The cheapest monthly subscription payment (standing behind the goal at the home end) is less than £9, which gives all home league and cup games. European games have to be bought separately. By way of comparison, a stand seat with European games included would be around £45 a month. Watching the Danish Superliga is obviously a lot cheaper than watching the PL. Paying monthly works out slightly more expensive over the season than paying upfront, mostly because there is a 10% discount available for up-front renewals.
Way to whet my appetite, Bt8.
Also, here are some good thoughts:
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2025/mar/08/what-is-wrong-with-arsenal-finishing-second-maybe-the-answer-is-nothing
(stay humble, eh)
MCMBD
Thanks bt8, an excellent preview and the team looks about right
if MLS is to start. Hopefully we have worked out a way to get more
players forward.
Thanks for the link @7 LG. A reasonable summary of the situation.
There was another piece where Ode expressed his own dissatisfaction
at his output this season.
We should have spanked them in the FA Cup really but I would be happy doing
it today instead, they are rubbish.
The link to Ode’s interview
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2025/mar/08/martin-odegaard-arsenal-manchester-united-premier-league-football
I am a 100% with him on the last couple of sentences 😄
Cheers bt8. This is a match we should win easily….but I don’t expect us to, it rarely happens against that lot, especially not at their place. So I’ll take any win.
Thanks for the articles, LG and Matt.
Ned
I clearly don’t understand the red card rules . I thought he got three matches for a straight red
Thanks
Depends on the nature of the foul, generally, TTG.
The second challenge the other night was that if a tired player. He’s only young. I would rather start Calafiori and bring MLS on for the last 60.
Or even start Calafiori and move Timber to left back on 60 to be replaced by White. I think some time out of the firing line might be good for him.
On 60, not for the last 60.
Cheers, bt8 – lots of lovely detail on exactly what a dog’s dinner of a club United have become. Amorim seems to be slowly, actually not that slowly, disrobing from the Emporer’s New Clothes he arrived in. Surely he should be capable of getting more out of his squad than he has, even if it is not hand picked for the way he likes to play. He’s beginning to look like a Portuguese Postecoglou.
I agree with CER about MLS. A couple of tired challenges have landed him in trouble recently. That’s not to detract in any way from his brilliant debut season but Nwaneri has also mentioned being affected by cramp lately. The Premier League is a huge jump from reserve football, however good you are, and keeping these two gems fit and fresh is vital to the season and to the club.
I’ll be cheering the lads on from the sofa although jumping up and down is out of the question, however many we score, as I am just home yesterday from my long awaited knee replacement surgery. A double celebration if we win today,
A 🥃 to your new knee Trev.
May you never kneed another
The Benjamin / Timber / Cala triangle
is a reasonable idea I think too CER
Be nice to see MLS back for the Chav game
Good stuff, Trev. Hope the recovery will go well.
So what Matt said (I am heeling too :-p).
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6141874/2025/03/09/premier-league-training-fixtures-workload/?source=user_shared_article
Talking of Cockney, knock-knee, knee nacks, very interesting piece in the Athletic on the increased frequency of injuries and strategies clubs employ to mitigate/minimise them. I’m sure the medically trained in the bar will have some views….
By which I mean those who are medically trained and in the bar. Not medically trained in a bar. Although I have heard interesting stories about medical training.
Here’s to a strong and swift recovery, Trev.
CER@20: Thanks for the link. Fascinating read. Reducing and smoothing out the match load on players seems to be what is required to reduce injuries but there are no easy solutions to how to do it. I can’t see limits on players’ games and minutes happening. However, an equal summer break and full pre-season for all players seems to be a good starting point as it would at least provide a base for dealing with the physical demands of the season to come.
Ornstein says that Andrea Berta, formerly of Atletico Madrid, will be Edu’s replacement as Sporting Director.
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6166136/2025/03/08/arsenal-sporting-director-berta-new-appointment/
Cheers Trev, and what Matt said about your new knee above. I wouldn’t want to be accused of being the celebration police but you might be careful about overcelebrating with the drinking in the case of an Ardenal win today, unless of coyrse you don’t mind undergoing elbow replacement too. 🤣